Plague of Fire
by Luumi
Summary: People are dying. Villages are being destroyed. But does anyone know how it's happening? Who ,or what, is to blame?
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own ATLA, but Rai, Uo, and Satchi are original charaters.**_

Rai choked back more tears. The pain felt like a thousand, steaming hot daggers slashing at her insides. She wanted to cry out, but she couldn't let her friends know how much pain she was in. Pain. The very word held an entirely new meaning to Rai, at least, ever since she had fallen ill a few days before.

Her only company was her two best friends, the people she trusted most. Like her, they were firebenders. Uo twisted her hair in knots anxiously. She couldn't bear to see Rai so weak and hurt. Satchi kept checking Rai's forehead and was fighting a lost battle in keeping her friend's fever down. She kept on sending Uo off to do errands.

"Come on Rai…fight it. You've always been healthy until now," Satchi muttered as she fumbled with another wet rag. She soaked it in the last of the water and pressed it to Rai's forehead, which was damp with beads of sweat. "Uo, could you go get more water?" she asked. She handed the nearly empty wooden pail to her right without lifting her eyes from Rai.

Uo reluctantly headed off to the well outside the house and came back a few minutes later. "The water's warming up. Too much sun is shining on the well," she said, her voice cowering with unease. The well's roof had collapsed a month or two ago, and no one had bothered to repair it.

"Then put some ice in it, cover it with leaves, anything to keep it cold!" Satchi snapped back. There was only one thing that annoyed her about Uo. It that she could only see the glass half empty, but never did anything about it. She suddenly felt bad for being mean to her friend, but when she turned around to apologize she was alone with Rai. Uo had already left.

She sighed and tested the water. It was warmer than it had been earlier, just as Uo said.

Rai clenched her teeth to hold back another cry of pain. Satchi admired how strong she could be. She wished she could stand up to her fears with the same confidence Rai did.

Uo walked back into the room and sat down next to Rai's head. "No! Don't sit there!" said Satchi in a panicked voice. Uo sprung up.

"Wh-what's gotten into you?" she stammered.

"I read a story once, about how if you saw death sitting at the head of a sick person, it was too late to save them…" Satchi's voice trailed off.

"So are you comparing me to Death itself?" Uo replied with a twinge of anger in her voice.

"No! I-I'm not! It's just—"

"Just what?"

"Just nothing! You're over reacting!"

"**_I'm_** over reacting? You're the one who won't even let me sit near the top of Rai's bed just because of a stupid story!"

"I want Rai to get better as soon as possible! So do you! I can't help it if I get superstitious or paranoid!"

"G-guys… Stop fighting," cracked Rai's frail voice. She didn't want her friends fighting because of her.

"Rai! Don't talk if it hurts! Do you need more water?" Both Uo and Satchi forgot their feud and turned their attention back to Rai.

"No…no thanks…" was the muttered response. It always was. Her friends gave her some anyway. They always did.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier Uo," said Satchi softly.

"Yeah...me too," was Uo's response.

Suddenly, Rai trembled as the first screech of pain to escape her lips made itself known. She bolted upright and clutched her stomach. Her skin felt as if it were on fire. Uo and Satchi rushed to her side, but she pushed them back. She cried out again, but as her mouth opened tongues of fire snaked out.

Rai's skin steadily turned black-ish like burning parchment. She scratched madly at her arms until they were glowing bright red! All her friends could do was watch helplessly.

Rai's hands stopped clawing at her flesh and rushed up to her skull as she grimaced with pain. Her arms continued to glow bright red until they burst into scarlet flame! Her shrieks turned inhuman as the flames danced on her skin, jumping from shoulder to shoulder. Her body was the color of charcoal, and her hair had begun to burn near the roots. The flames quickly traveled down to the ends.

She tried to bunch up in a tense ball, but kept flinching and spreading her limbs wildly about like a mad person. Fire erupted from her neck and rushed to meet her hands and ankles. The cries had been inhuman before, but now they were unbearable. Finally, the fire died down and Rai's body collapsed like a rag doll made from twigs and leaves.

Uo and Satchi could only stare in a mixture of emotions. Fear. Bewilderment. Sorrow. Many more of these feelings were crowding their minds, making their expressions neither afraid nor astonished.

All they could do was look at the smoldering pile of humanoid remains that used to be their friend, unable to break their gaze.

****

**_I have no idea where I'm going with this :) _**

**_Constructive critisism, please._**


	2. Chapter 2

**_So…it's already Chapter Two. I really should work on Prima Materia more, but it was getting kinda boring in my opinion. I'll probably write a new chapter of that in a few weeks or so._**

**_Anyway, I'm thinking of changing my username. Any suggestions? (Wow, it's like I actually expect some one to read my author's notes)_**

**_PLAGUE OF FIRE_**

**_CHAPTER 2_**

**_I do not own Avatar. I do, however, own a half-eaten graham cracker and a stale cookie._**

**_oOoOoOo(divider)_**

'Rest eternally.'

That was what Rai's gravesite read. Satchi had just written it in tiny white blossoms above where she expected Rai's charred heart to be. The remains had been placed in a wooden coffin and buried about a week ago. Every day Satchi would come to the grave and write something on it with the delicate flowers Rai loved so much.

Yesterday it had read 'Souls are untouched by time.' Another day, pink blossoms spelled out 'Friendship is immortal.' Tomorrow Satchi planned to write 'Flames can't harm spirit.'

She looked up into the sky. Today was a gloomy day. The weather seemed saddened by the one week anniversary of Rai's death. It wasn't warm. It wasn't cold. It wasn't windy. It wasn't humid. It wasn't cloudy either, yet the sun was hiding behind the tallest houses in the village, casting the graveyard into shadows.

Satchi felt her eyes grow damp, but threw back her head and let the tears sink back in her eyes. Rai never cried. Now that she was gone, Satchi felt she had to live up to her friend's strength, for both her and Uo.

After Rai's remains had stopped flaming on that fateful day, Uo had broken into a hysterical fit. She giggled as she cried. Seeing her best friend burn to death had made something in her brain snap. She didn't even seem to recognize Satchi anymore. Right now, Uo was in her grandmother's house, resting. She still wasn't doing well. She ate little and would often try to walk out of the house alone while laughing to herself. Her family made sure she never made it far.

The tears were gone now. Satchi turned her attention back to the grave and gave a weak smile.

"Someone you know?"

Satchi's head whirled around as she heard a new voice. A friendly-looking bald man was behind her. He was too old to be considered young, but to young to be considered old. His eyes were squinty and he looked at Rai's gravesite calmly.

"Are you going to answer me?" he asked. His voice reminded Satchi of the sound a scroll makes while opening.

"Y-Yes. She was my friend," was her reply.

"There are rumors going around about her death, you know. Some say it was suicide. Others, homicide. The most recent rumor is that she ate poisoned fruit a flying lemur gave her. Foolish, I know," he smiled. It seemed like the only thing he could do. Smile. "Still others, though, say it was something more sinister. They say her body turned to was burned to a crisp as her bones burst into flame."

Satchi was on her feet instantly. "Where did you hear that!" she hissed. She hadn't spoken a word about how Rai died, and their families had made sure the remains were buried in secret. No one else had been around at the time. Uo hadn't even been able to speak in full sentences after her first hysterical fit.

The man seemed to have forgoten Satchi was even there. He kept muttering to himself. "So, it really was the Plague. This is the first time I've heard of it happening outside of the Mountain Village. I wonder how the girl caught it…" His smiling face was now serious and was wrinkling in deep thought.

"What Plague? Tell me! Tell me everything you know about this!" Satchi demanded. Her face was turning red with impatience.

"Oh! Youre still here, aren't you?" The man's smile was back now. It seemed he really had forgotten Satchi was there. "You want me to tell you what I know about your friend's death?"

"YES!" Satchi was practically screaming now.

"Very well. No one else seems to be around. It is a graveyard, after all." The man chuckled to himself. "I have not always lived in this village, girl. I once lived on a place we called the Mountain Village," He paused. "Now, listen. I'm only telling you this because you have a right to know what happened. I'd tell that other girl you were with, but she seems likely to drown herself in a rain puddle right about now."

Satchi looked down at the ground. As much as she hated to admit it, Uo's condition was just like the man had said.

"Anyway, the Mountain Village was located on Saeri Isle--"

"Saeri Isle! That's not too far from here! Only a day's journey!" Satchi interrupted.

"Quiet! Do you wish to hear my story or not? Now where was I? Oh yes! On Saeri Isle, terrible things went on. It used to be a place for refugees during the War. After the Great Avatar Aang ended the war with the Fire Lord's assassination, some refugees still lived there which made it a village with both Firebenders and Earthbenders. Soon Waterbenders and a few members of the new generation of Airbenders lived there as well."

"The War? That was ages ago! There have been a dozen avatars after the Great Avatar's reign. Why are we going so far back into the past?" Satchi questioned. She was losing her patience with this man.

"Oh, so you really do not wish to hear my story? I guess I should be going then." The man started to turn away.

"Wait! I'm sorry! Please continue!" Satchi bowed apologetically.

"Fine. Horrible things happened at the Mountain Village. I left my home and came to this village after the first incident occurred. It was simply ghastly. A native Firebender on the Mountain became very ill. She had a very high fever, but one day she disappeared. All that was left in her room was a pile of ashes and bones." The man coughed once, then returned to his story.

"The only witness was the girl's mother. She claimed her daughter had burst into flames before her very eyes. Panic rose among the villagers. Wishing for the quiet, peaceful atmosphere the mountain could no longer provide me with, I fled here. I thought that I would never hear about the Fire Plague, as we called it, again. However, a few days ago I was walking past a particular house when I heard cries of inhuman anguish, like the ones I heard the night the woman in my old village died. I was filled with fright and dashed home. Today, I decided to see if anyone in the village had perished recently, so I came to this gravesite, and it seems I have found my answer."

"So, this happened before…on Saeri Isle?" Satchi stuttered.

"Yes."

Satchi started to walk off towards her home.

"Wait! Where are you going?" The man asked her.

"To prepare."

The man was clearly confused.

"I'm going to Saeri Isle. I need to know how Rai really died, and why." Satchi briefly explained.

The man recognized the determination in her voice. His smile grew broader.

"One last thing, girl."

"What's that?" Satchi called back over her shoulder.

"When you get there, if you see anyone, tell them it was Miko that told you about the Mountain Village," The man said.

"Miko? Who's Miko?" asked Satchi.

"Why, me of course," the man replied.

"Miko? That's your name?" Satchi tried not to crack up. "It sounds like a girl's name!"

Miko pretended to be hurt. "Now, now, you should be nice to strangers who tell you secret tales of hidden villages."

"Sorry, Miko." Satchi did her best not to burst out laughing again. Her best seemed to be good enough.

"You're welcome Satchi!" she heard him call after her. She walked off to her house and told her parents she was going to Saeri Isle. Being the irresponsible parents they were, they just told her to have a good time. Satchi went to her room to pack a few things.

It was only later she realized, when did she tell Miko her name?

_**oOoOoOo(another divider)**_

_**I still have no idea where I'm going with this. It's just fun to write. :)**_


End file.
